Playpen



Sept. 28, 1954 M LAX 2,689,960

PLAYPEN Filed June 13, 1952 Z2\ Ill' I /22//0 r Y" u" r* 4 f l i )|134 l 35 25 t 34 Y i a j 4i! 4 36 i 30 I L2a ffy-2 Q `n34 ifl g Y l' 20 35 l J 2a 'I l nventor Patented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a babys play-pen and particularly to a play-pen wherein there is provided a gated opening in one vside of the playpen.

The practical use of the ordinary type of playpen is limited to the very early formative months of an infants life when the infant first begins to turn over and sit up. However, as the infant begins to grow more aware of his surroundings and eventually even begins to crawl, he resents being shut up within the narrow confines of a play-pen and will stay in it only a very short time before he begins to get bored and demands to be let out. When this occurs, the mother, or other adult present, must bend over the side of the play-pen and lift the infant out. Hence, at this stage of his development, the infant is usually beginning to get quite heavy, this places an added physical strain on his mother.

It is an object of my present invention, therefore, to provide a play-pen having an opening to allow an infant to crawl out of the play-pen when he so desires.

It is another object of my invention to provide a closure for the opening which can be easily opened and closed.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a closure which will not only serve to close the opening in the play-pen wall but which will also be adapted to serve as a table within the play-pen to hold toys, food and the like, and to provide an additional attraction to keep the infant within the play-pen.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the playpen showing the doorway opening and the tabletop closure member in partially closed position.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the playpen showing the supporting slot with the tabletop member in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the table in its operative position Within the play-pen.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and shows a spring clip member for securing the table legs when the Vfolded position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing the leg adapted to t into a corresponding opening in the bottom of the play pen.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a guide post.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show a play-pen A which may be either of the rigid or the folding type. The play-pen consists of two parallel walls Il) and I2 which are spaced from each other by two other parallel walls I4 and I6 and by a oor board I1 of wood or similar material. The wall Ill is considered the front wall and the wall I2 the rear wall, while the two connecting walls I4 and I6 are considered the side walls. Each of these four walls comprises a wooden frame in which are set a plurality of vertically extending parallel slats I8.

The slats I8 do not extend along the full length of the wall Ill but are arranged to leave an opening 20 which is bounded by a pair of vertical guide posts 22. These guide posts 22 are provided with longitudinal grooves or channels 24 which are adapted to slidingly hold a closure member B.

The Vrear wall I2 of the play-pen is provided with a slot or opening 26, this slot being formed by fore-shortening the central slats I8 of the rear wall I2 and by forming a rectangular frame 2l between the top ends of these fore-shortened slats and the top portion of the framework of the wall. The slot 26 is constructed and arranged to be parallel to the doorway opening 20.

The closure member B comprises a substantially rectangular panel 28 constructed of wood plastic or similar material and having an arcuate lower edge 30 which forms a small recess or opening between the floor board I1 and the closurey member. This small recess allows either an adult or the baby, when he is strong enough to do so, to place his ngers into the recess and lift up on the closure member. An extension or ange 32 is provided on the end of the closure member which is opposite to the arcuate edge. This iiange has a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

A pair of parallel legs 34 are pivotally connected to the front face of the member B as at 38. The feet of the legs 34 are provided with pins 35 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The legs 34 are shown in folded position when the closure member is in doorway closing position, see Fig. 1, when the legs are in the folded position the pins 35 are engaged by spring clip members 36 to retain the legs 34 in definite spaced l relationship to the closure member B, see Fig. 4. A painting or other decorative indicia as indicated at 40 is preferably placed on the front surface of the closure member.

When the closure member B is desired to be used as a table, it is withdrawn from the channels 24 in the posts 22 and the legs 34 are pivoted to the open position wherein they extend perpendicular to the panel 28. The legs 34 are then placed in a-standing position on the -oor board so that the pins 35 enter holes 42 which are provided in a predetermined position in the door board. The engagement of the pins in the holes locks the legs in a standing position. At the same time, the flange 32 ts into 1thezslot 2' and rests on the lower edge of .the frame .21. The closure member has now become a table within the play-pen.

The invention above described, although illustrated as applied toa play-pen is not-coniined to such use but may be used in conjunction with a variety of baby enclosures. For instance, it may be used in conjunction with a crib wherein the legs are allowed to stand on the iioor of the room and the iiange projects through a slot in the lower portion ofthe crib.

It is, therefore, to be observed that although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description isintended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

l. A play-pen comprising a floor board and 'two pairs of parallel walls extending up from said floor board, a vertically elongated opening in one of said walls, a horizontally elongated opening in the opposite wall, the length of said horizontally elongated opening being substantially the same as the width of said vertically elongated opening, a panel detachably connected to said playpen and closing said vertically elongatedopening in one position of adjustment, said panel position of adjustment, said panel having an end portion which extends through said horizontally elongated opening when in said second position of adjustment.

2. The play-pen of claim 1 wherein said oor board is provided with holes which are adapted to receive a pin connected to each of said legs for the purpose of locking said legs to said floor board when said panel is in floor board supported position.

3. A collapsible play-pen comprising two pairs of'k parallel walls and a floor board, means where- `bysaid walls and iloor board are connected together to be collapsed together, a vertically extending opening in one of said walls, a horizontally elongated opening defined by a frame in the opposite wall, the length of said horizontally elongated opening being substantially the same as the Width of said vertically elongated opening, a panel detachably connected to said playpen and closing said vertically elongated opening, a leg pivotally connected to one end of said panel and having a pin at the free end of said leg, said oor board having an opening into which said pin telescopes to lock; said leg -with said iloor board, and `said leg and its opening suppcrtingone end of said panel and the other end of said panel resting on the lower edge of said frame whereby said panel rests in a horizontal position .as a table.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,852 Hayden Aug. 22, 1905 `1,827,687 McCandless Oct. 13, 1931 2,442,048 Kroll May 25, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,021 Great Britain of 1898 266,284 Italy July 25, 1929 239,914 Switzerland Mar. l, 1946 

